Job Discussion Forums

amity · Joined: 08 Mar 2007 Posts: 72 Location: central Texas

In my quest for experience teaching ESL, I put an ad on a tutoring service forum for private tutoring in my town. Since then I have received several inquiries, all of them men anxious to have me tutor their sons, and one for an outrageous amount: 50 lbs sterling per hour! All of them want me to send them my full name and address with zip code, phone number, cell phone, etc. And then of course they will mail me a large check for a long term commitment before even meeting me for the first lesson!

I know this is too good to be true, but can't see what the scam is. What is going on here? The info they ask for anyone could get out of a phone book, really ....

Here is one of them in illustration. He wants me to tutor his son while he is visiting, but he does not know what country I am in??? :

Dear Sir/Ma,

Complement of the day. I am writing in response to your advert (Teaching) I came across while surfing through the Internet. I want you to be aware that I need a tutor for my son (Ares) for the month of April 2007. I really want my child to be taught by you. Ares is 14 year old and easily catches up. Although, I�ve arranged with my client son Nanny living there that my Son is coming to stay with her for his period of tutoring and she has agreed with me. I based in Athens, Greece, with my son, and also a nationality of Greece.. You will teach him how to write and speak English , which I want him to learn, also I want you to teach him for 2 hours in a
day.

1. CHARGES FOR AN HOUR THAT I WILL BE PAYING YOU IS FIFTY (�50) PER
HOUR.

2. YOU WILL TEACH HIM 3 TIMES IN A WEEK (MONDAY, WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY)

3. TOTAL CHARGES FOR 1 MONTH FEE WILL BE, ONE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED GBP (�1,200.00)

I contacted my son concerning the arrangement of the tutoring which he told me is ok by him and I want you to know that I am going to pay for 1 Month which is �1,200.00, also I want you to know that my client in Europe will issue you a cheque of �4,600.00, which you will deduct your fees, and then send the rest, which will be used for my son flight to your location and any other arrangement. If you agree with these terms, get back to me with the following details for payment:

Your full name...???
Contact address...???
Postal zip code...???
Country .............???
Home phone #...........???
Cell #..............???

All these in which I would forward to my client in Europe to issue
out
the payment (cheque).

Regards,
xxx

mlomker · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 378

amity · Joined: 08 Mar 2007 Posts: 72 Location: central Texas

Good grief, well obviously I would not do that! But seriously, I have received many offers of this type and none of the others involve sending money.

mlomker · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 378

Mike_2003 · Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 344 Location: Bucharest, Romania

Yes, I've seen this scam before. I think here might even be a thread on it somewhere here at Dave's.

Basically you have to pay some money upfront to cover your visa and permit allowing you to travel to the client's country (usually somewhere in Africa or the far east). Once you have paid the client's 'good colleague' at some bogus travel agency you'll receive your ticket and then wing your way to a high-paying job.

Kent F. Kruhoeffer · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 2129 Location: 中国

Sgt Killjoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 438

if it sounds like a scam then it probably is. I will send you a cashier's check for 4600 pounds. Please forward the remaining 3400 pounds to my son.

The cashier's check ends up being fake but you only discover it after you have forwarded the 3400 pounds.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Use common sense when it comes to job salaries. Often it is the greedy or the uninformed that get caught in these scams. Research Research!!!

I prefer to apply to jobs directly rather than put my CV out there and wait for employers to contact me. Too many illegitimate offers out there, like you have discovered.

saint57 · Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 1:32 pm Post subject:

I know someone who got ripped off by this scam in Canada. They send you a cheque that won't clear and you send them money you'll never see again. Here's my guess at what the process will be:

- You get a cheque for 4,600 and deposit it in your account.
- The guy who sent it demads the 3,400 right away because his son needs the ticket right now.
- You send him 3,400 pounds.
- The cheque bounces.
- You're out 3,400 pounds.

Jetgirly · Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 741

If you're that dumb, you don't belong in a classroom in the first place.

saint57 · Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 6:16 am Post subject:

Actually, if you're that dumb you probably don't have 3,400 pounds in your bank account either. The guy I slightly know in Canada runs a tuition agency. The people who ripped him off were posing as French exchange students. I don't know the exact details, but I doubt it was as serious as 3,400 pounds.

I guess the ESL world has been identified as a desperate lot.